


Traitor, Traitor, Traitor, Who?

by Double_Marshmello



Series: Dream SMP Stories :D | Professional VERSION [3]
Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Beta Read, Execution, Gen, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm Sorry, I'm very late ngl, Memory Loss, Mentioned Cara | CaptainPuffy, Mentioned Eret (Video Blogging RPF), Mentioned Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Mentioned Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Mentioned TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Ranboo Angst (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo-centric (Video Blogging RPF), Someone proofread this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-12 05:54:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29505105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Double_Marshmello/pseuds/Double_Marshmello
Summary: A leather-bound book laid on the floor, pages worn and filled with secrets, secrets that should remain unshed.....The summary is kinda bad but I don't care. READ IT. YOU HAVE NO CHOICE.This is a work of fiction and does not represent the content creators or the Dream SMP plot in any shape or form. If any of said content creators that are in this work don't like it, then I might take it down. (I mean, there's no romance at all...)
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity & Ranboo, Cara | CaptainPuffy & Niki | Nihachu, Clay | Dream & Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Eret & Niki | Nihachu, Floris | Fundy & Ranboo, Niki | Nihachu & Ranboo, Niki | Nihachu & Ranboo & Toby Smith | Tubbo
Series: Dream SMP Stories :D | Professional VERSION [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2201682
Comments: 6
Kudos: 125





	Traitor, Traitor, Traitor, Who?

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! 
> 
> I won't lie to you, I wrote this a month ago, the editing process took a bit.... 
> 
> BUT, this story was edited by the wonderful, @DrinkTheLeafJuice!
> 
> So kudos to her for reading my monstrosity of a story!

The feeling of cotton sheets rubbed against his skin, animals chirped and meowed in the background as he rubbed his eyes. He didn't remember going to sleep here, he mused, the mind slowly coming back online. 

A wooden ceiling met his eyes when he blinked them open, and icy, cold blood shot through his chest and gripped his limbs. 

Blank. 

He couldn’t remember anything, couldn't recall even a sliver of something familiar in the endless abyss of nothing inside his head. Frantically, he sat up, head swiveling quickly around to survey his surroundings, blood rushing from his head, causing him to have a spell of dizziness.

He caught sight of a mirror and scrambled over to it. A distressed black and white face stared back at him, red and green pupils shining with panic and fear. His breath came in fast huffs as he looked around for anything that might make him remember something, might rid his head of the horrible emptiness. 

Spruce planks. Gray furnaces. Oak boats. Black cats. Dead horses. Collared dogs. 

His eyes fell on a worn book that was sitting just under the bed, peeking out behind the white linen that was thrown haphazardly on the bed, draping onto the floor. Strings tugged at his chest and pulled him towards it. He fell on his knees before the bed, and gently pulled the leather-wrapped book out so he could see it properly. 

There, written on the cover in bold print were the words “DO NOT READ.” For some reason, keeping the book near calmed him, but he couldn’t remember  _ why _ . He hugged the book to his chest for a second to breathe, before shakingly placing it back under the bed, heart-squeezing from the act of moving away from the book. He didn't want to put it back, but for now, he didn't even know whose book it was, and thus it was safer to leave it where it was.

He turned and stood upon shaky legs, a sudden desperation hit him, and he raced towards the nearest chest, uprooting its contents violently, throwing it all over the floor, and doing the same with each chest in the room until the floor was a cluttered mess. He looked at everything, and still, nothing made any sense, he didn't know any of this stuff. Was it supposed to be his? His breathing hitched in near full breakdown, and he blindly ran into the door, opening it and almost falling through to the ground when it just about flew off its hinges.

The bright sun attacked his eyes, and he stumbled back a step, blinking until he was able to see. He didn't recognize anything around him, straight ahead, a huge crater filled with water took up the center square, pillars of spruce protruding out of the water pit. Red, white, blue, and black banners decorated the surrounding fencing. Spruce buildings were scattered to the right and left of the building he had just come out of. Said building also had a large ‘R’ floating above it. 

He narrowed his eyes, trying to look at the letter, confusion, fear, uncertainty and many other indiscernible emotions and questions bounced around in his head. Stuck in his panicked state, frozen like a lamb, he didn’t notice a short blonde walk up to him. She called to him and placed a hand on his shoulder when he failed to respond.

The blonde female jumped, frightened when the man let out an inhuman, enderman-like screech, disappearing in a flash of purple particles. Looking around she saw the man sat ridged on the spruce floor of the lowest platform, stock still, staring into space, chest heaving. 

“Ranboo? Are you okay?” Her face scrunched up in worry at such a strong reaction from the half-enderman. The taller of the two gasped for breath that seemed scarce, still distressed over his loss of memory. “W-Who’s Ranboo?” conversation distracted him from his panic, but it still clung to him like an unwanted burr. 

“What?-” the blonde exclaimed, “What, you’re Ranboo. Did you hit your head on something? Are you okay?”

_ What? _

_ His name was Ranboo?  _

_ Why couldn’t he remember that?  _

_ What’s wrong with him? _

Ranboo’s breathing picked up again, hands gripping the front of his dress shirt. 

“...boo! Ranboo! Snap out of it!” Ranboo jolted at the girl’s voice, he looked up from where he was staring at the spruce planks below him, unfocused multi-colored eyes meeting the girl’s hazelnut ones.

“Ranboo?...” She tried, worried, as she waved her hand in front of his face. Ranboo snapped out of his daze and stumbled back, words fell out of his mouth in an incomprehensible jumble while he sorted the mess of wires that was his brain, trying to connect something. 

“Um, Uh, you-” He blinked a few times, “I’m so sorry, I don’t- I didn’t mean to, Sorry- I’ll, I should go now-” Quickly, he stood up, overshadowing the unknown blond with his height. He backpedaled away from her, tripping over his words and his feet, apologies bursting forth. 

“Ranboo! Ranboo, it’s okay! It’s okay.” The girl said, cutting him off. Ranboo’s mouth clicked shut, his red and green eyes were wide open like a deer caught in headlights. The two stood there, staring at each other, the silence stretched on until a crow cawed in the background.

Concern was prominent in her ochreous eyes as her hands crept towards Ranboo. “Ranboo? What’s going on?” Ranboo stood there, processing the question, gaze blank. His shock and anxiety were hitting full force at that point, forcing him to stay mute. He wondered if he should be honest with his answer. He didn’t like strangers, strangers aren’t his friends so he shouldn’t trust strangers. Right? 

Right. 

_ But she knows him so she’s not a stranger, so who was she?  _

_ How does she know him?  _

_ Is she a friend?  _

_ If she’s a friend why can’t he remember?  _

Panic started bubbling up inside him as questions bounced and collided in his head, his focus running to one question, then hopping to the next one before he could answer the question. 

Then one thing came to the spotlight. For the first time since he woke up, he had felt something other than confusion, anxiety, panic, and fear. A part of him deep inside seemed to trust the girl in front of him. He supposed she was the only thing that he had going for him right now - _ deep breaths Ranboo, deep breaths.  _

Clearing his throat, Ranboo spoke, “Hey, um. Could we go somewhere else to talk?” Nodding in understanding, the girl quickly led him down towards what seemed to be an ocean, a beautiful dock sitting on the rocky shore. He followed her quietly as she walked across a narrow cobblestone path across the wide expanse of water, meeting the other side. 

The girl strolled further into the land, going down a river to be greeted by a hill as Ranboo followed dutifully. He watched with wonder as she shoved the dirt on the side of the hill to the ground, exposing a secret stone room, which was packed with a bed, some chests, a furnace, and a crafting table. He scanned the enclosed space as she closed the dirt-door, sealing them in. He followed her down a staircase located in the back of the room.

A gasp escaped him as he followed the girl, a huge ravine greeted them at the end of the staircase. 

Cobblestone and wooden beams crisscross the damp cavern in an intricate pattern with an array of different color wooden buttons decorating the walls and floors. At the bottom of the cave, a few chests sat in the middle of the ravine, doors, and tunnels led to different rooms. 

“What is this place…” He whispered, his voice ricocheting off the walls in the empty ravine. Ranboo’s mouth dropped open as he saw the girl move around with practiced ease, showing that she was familiar with the mysterious place. 

“This place is called Pogtopia.” She said, stopping at the ravine. She faced him at the bottom of the ravine, leaning against the wall, her eyes staring right beside him, avoiding his eyes. 

“Who lived here?” Ranboo whispered as his eyes traveled the gray walls, walking around on the wooden beams, zoning onto the shorter female when she answered his inquiry.

“It was a home for a mad man and a young child forced into the world of war and chaos on their own according. They have caused bloodshed to stain this land, the two people who were once my friends.” The girl said with a bitter tone, hinting that she had pent-up emotion about the subject. 

“What happened to them?” Ranboo questioned, muttering his words, “-If you don’t mind telling me.” Shock flashed on the blonde’s face before she could stop it. Ranboo walked down to stand in front of her, leaning on the wall opposite of hers. 

_ He didn’t know what was going on?  _

Confused, she still proceeded to tell him what happened, sobering as she spoke, “One lays dead by his father’s own hands and one lays exiled because of their actions.” He watched as she turned her back on him, cutting her words off as she faced the grey walls. She took a deep breath before she turned around again, her eyes slightly glossy. “Right, we’re safe here, how ‘bout you tell me what’s going on, Ranboo.” She said, changing the subject. 

“Uh, well…” 

Ranboo recounted the steps that he had taken, remembering the events that had happened earlier. Talking about how he had woken up in a building he didn’t recognize and how he couldn’t remember anything or anyone for that matter, even his name until she had spoken it to him. That he just couldn’t  **_remember._ **

“I mean, I’m a 17-year old boy- “

_ Was he 17? He’s 17. Right? _

“-who can’t remember anything about- anything.” 

Black and white hands sliced through the air, emphasizing his words. “I, I can’t, I can't remember my name! I can't remember what I did yesterday, what I did before I woke up! It's just gone!-” 

_ His name was unknown to him. His OWN name.  _

“-Shouldn’t I be worried? I mean, why is this happening to me?” The blonde hair girl sat there, facing him, listening quietly to the taller man rant. 

_ Something that has never happened to her. _

“I mean, why? Did something happen? Did I bang my head on the wall? Is this God punishing me for sins I don’t even remember? Why is this happening? Why can’t I remember? Why, why can’t I remember!? Why’s it all gone! All of it’s gone! Why! Why! WHY!” Ranboo started screaming at the wall, his voice cracking painfully. Hands frantically tugged at his monochrome hair as hysteria washed over him. 

The girl straightened from where she was leaning against the wall. Walking over to him, she gently pulled his shaking hands away from his head, her face showed the same concerned look from before. She shushed him as he started sobbing, utterly lost and broken at that moment. Pulling him into a hug, she was engulfed by his tall stature, making Ranboo have to bend down so she could hug him properly. 

“Shhh ‘boo, there’s no need to cry.” 

She gently started rubbing circles into his back as she hugged him tightly. His hands clenched the back of her shirt, face soaking her shoulder with salty tears. The water burned him, but he couldn’t stop, the emotions and stress too much to bear. The tears stung him as they trailed down his cheeks, the pain only adding to his whimpering sobs.

It took a while, but Ranboo eventually calmed down, he sniffled as he backed away, digging his palms into his eyes. He sat down against the wall, gently rubbing the phantom pain off of his face. 

“Better now?” The girl questioned. After receiving a nod from Ranboo, she continued talking. “Okay, how about I introduce myself? We can start over while we figure this out..” Nodding again, she proceeded. 

“Right, I’m Nihachu, but you can call me Niki, okay? I would like to be your friend.” She smiled, reaching her hands out in a friendly manner. He nodded at her words, his throat still scratchy from his sobbing. He now understood why he was so willing to trust her. It was obvious that she was a kind soul, only the purest of intentions laid in her mind. 

“I’m Ranboo I guess…” He croaked out, straining his overused voice, his hand reaching up to shake her hand, before dropping it promptly. 

“Well hello, Ranboo! It’s nice to meet you. Would you like me to tell you what’s going on?” She asked softly. Ranboo nodded. His eyes were a tinted red as he sniffled every once in a while. 

“Okay then, listen up ‘boo. There was once a man named Wilbur Soot…” Ranboo watched enraptured as Niki told the story about the Dream SMP, calming down significantly from his earlier meltdown. She talked about how L’Manburg was blown up into pieces by its founder. Talking about Technoblade’s anarchistic ways and his wish to demolish the government. He listened silently, wide green and red eyes filled with stars as he heard about Tommy’s exile and supposed death by his own hands. About how Dream’s reign of terror continues to live on even though L’Manburg had already gained their independence. 

He listened as Niki talked about him - _him! -_ and his role in L’Manburg. She told him about the secrets that he had confided to her under the starry night. About how he was friends with both Technoblade and Tubbo, men on the opposite sides. 

She talked in such a way that it seemed like a fairy tale. But fairy tales are fictional for a reason, not everyone can get a good ending. And it seemed like Ranboo wasn’t going to get a good ending anytime soon…

___

_ Across the bay, in the center of L’Manberg, stood a man wearing a blue shirt with white stripes on the sleeves, a blue beanie donned on the top of his head.  _

_ The man looked up at the sky for a moment and then walked towards a house. Said house had a huge, bright yellow R floating above it.  _

_ Opening the door, the man stepped in, tapping his shoes on the side of the doorway, supposedly to brush off dirt before entering the house.  _

_ Continuing in, the man scanned the room.  _

_ A cat meowed from its place on the floor, yellow eyes watching the man’s every move. He walked past the mess of miscellaneous items that were splattered across the floor, the man’s eyes found and settled on his prize. He beelined towards the bed, kneeling and his eyes scanned the room once more in case of peeping eyes.  _

_ Grabbing the worn leather, he slipped it into his inventory. After giving the room another cursory glance, he walked out, whistling, the well-used book sitting snugly in his inventory.  _

_ Aware of the pair of eyes watching him, the same green eyes that had told him about the existence of the book. _

_ The fun had just begun... _

___

A laugh sounded through the ravine, giggles echoing alongside it. 

Ranboo and Niki were sitting on the ground, sharing jokes and quips to pass the time, getting to know each other better -  well for Ranboo at least. N iki had already told Ranboo about the festival that was going to happen. The Green Festival is what L’Manburg called it, a celebration of the union between the Dream SMP and L’Manburg. 

Which they both knew was a  **lie.**

Ranboo himself was a part of the Butcher Army and he knew of the Butcher Army’s plans before he forgot. And even though he can’t remember now, he had confided to Niki before his memory loss, of the Butcher Army’s plans. Because at the time, Niki was - and still is, the person he trusted the most. 

They knew the whole thing was a ruse. A ruse to finally end Dream’s tyranny. To end the source of all their problems. Or that’s what they think. 

But still, they laugh their night away, choosing to worry about the future later, but the future is inevitable. They started sobering up when they left the ravine, revealing that the sun had set already, resting up before its debut tomorrow, as a new dawn for the world to fall to Dream’s feet.

___

Ranboo was practically exploding with nerves by the time the festival was a day away. The stress of somehow not being caught for his amnesia was getting to him. He was surprised by the fact that no one even came close to guessing what truly happened. Sure he got some weird stares at certain times and some of the more bold ones questioned his behavior, but he always somehow managed to brush it off. 

He had spent time with the L’Manburgians: Fundy, Tubbo, and Quackity. Ranboo had quickly become friends with Tubbo and Fundy. Hanging out with them to either create something or just to joke around as friends do. Because past-Ranboo was friends with the two made their chemistry fit like a jigsaw puzzle. 

Quackity on the other hand gave him weird vibes. The man was too prying in his opinion: asking things like who he was friends with and whose sides he was on. Ranboo always managed to escape his questions by telling him that he chose friends, not sides. Sure, the others asked questions, but not like Quackity did. 

He had also continued to meet Technoblade, Philza, and Tommy. The first a pink-haired man, the second with carefully clipped black wings, and the third a loud, brash, and blond boy. They welcomed him with open arms and were the only people he trusted to know about his amnesia other than Niki. 

Previously, Ranboo had learned from Niki that the house he had woken up in on that fateful day  _ was _ his house, so he had quickly gone back there and gotten what Niki had told him was important: his armor, his weapons, and food. 

_ He didn’t notice that a leather-bound book was gone from its place under the bed. _

___

The day has come, exquisite decorations were everywhere, contrasting to the ultimate doom that was about to greet them. The Cabinet had had a meeting beforehand to finalize the plans for the day; Dream was to arrive at L’Manburg with no armor on and then they were to kill him while he was unprotected, striking the tyrant down once and for all. The execution was to be carried out after the speeches in the afternoon. 

_ Ranboo didn’t notice the gleaming glances that were given between the 3 people, glances that were sometimes aimed at him. _

Then it was time to wait. Ranboo entertained himself by strolling around the nation, stopping at moments to speak with the citizens, and playing some games that people had created. 

Fundy had done some last-minute decorations and festival games, one of them being a close representation of ring toss but instead of rings and a pole; it's a different color dye for the competitors that you throw and a button. A blond man with a necklace around his neck had dominated that game. 

Ranboo watched from the sidelines as Quackity repeatedly pulled Tubbo to the side to converse, Fundy sometimes joining in, while they played. He ignored the feeling of dread that overcame him, brushing it off as nerves for the planned events that were to come. 

Then it was time, Dream had decided to come a little late, but as promised, Dream was wearing nothing except for his trademark green hoodie and white porcelain mask, his familiar axe still strapped to his back. 

  
  


All the citizens of L’Manburg came to the bottom of the podium, Dream and his group in the back of the crowd looking up to the Cabinet. 

Tubbo had begun his speech about the great unity between L’Manburg and the Greater Dream SMP, out of the corner of his eye, Ranboo saw Quackity shuffling something in his hand. It was probably the weapon to end Dream, he thought. 

Soon enough, Ranboo’s speech was coming up. It was decided that Quackity was to go last, after Fundy’s, Ranboo’s, and Tubbo’s. Stepping up to the microphone, Ranboo cleared his throat, ignoring the anxiety digging at him, and began. At some points, he stuttered over his words, but he survived in the end. After he finished off his oration, Ranboo stepped back, letting Quackity begin his speech. 

He didn’t notice Fundy sliding behind him, he didn’t notice Tubbo glancing at him from the sidelines, he didn’t notice the crazed look in Quackity’s eyes as he came to the highlight of his speech, he didn’t notice the smug aura in Dream’s stance as he stood with the audience. He didn’t notice anything. 

_ Which would be his downfall.  _

“As everyone else has said, thank you, everyone, for coming to the festival. I hope that you enjoy the celebration of unity between L’Manburg and the Greater Dream SMP. Now that we’re done with the pleasantries, I would like to show everyone something that I’ve found. I have found a book filled with information by a traitor in our midst. A traitor!” Quackity yelled as he lifted the book for the eyes of everyone. 

Ranboo who had been listening quietly hadn’t realized anything that had happened. He wasn’t aware that the book that Quackity held was his. 

“The good thing is that I, fortunately, know who this traitor is…” Quackity paused for effect, (ever the dramatic man). “-Ranboo! Why don’t you come over here and explain yourself, you fucking traitor!” 

Ranboo’s heterochromia eyes shot open when he heard his name. He jolted with surprise when Fundy suddenly grabbed his arms, pinning them behind his back. He felt a tip of a netherite sword poke into his back.

“W- What? What’s going on... guys?” Ranboo whimpered, his eyes wide with fear as his fellow cabinet members turned against him. He was brought to the edge of the building, he saw the grim faces of Tubbo and the fear that was coursing through the eyes of his friend, Niki. 

“This man right here has been conspiring with the enemies of our nation! The fucking bastards that had blown up L’Manberg! Our great country!” Quackity shouted, pausing he leaned into the microphone, lowering his voice from the tirade that was practically shouted before, “And I think we all know what happens to the traitors of our great nation…  **_Death_ ** .” 

“Wait wait wait-” 

“YESSS!-”

“What!-”

“KILL THE TRAITOR!-” 

“NOOOOO!-”

Reactions sprouted out of the crowd, cries of disagreement and shouts of joy mixed together at the declaration. Ranboo stood there, a dangerous weapon grazing his back, pinning him into place. A storm of thoughts ran around in his head. 

_ How did Quackity know that he was visiting Technoblade?  _

_ Did someone tell him?  _

_ If someone did, then who?  _

He watched as Quackity’s face filled with anger and spite, Tubbo’s filled with resentment and pity. 

_ Another friend lost to politics. _

Dream’s stance was filled with joy and smugness, even though his eyes were covered by the white porcelain, anyone could tell that he was happy. Niki, poor Niki, her eyes were filled with fear and barely controlled anger, an abnormal look on the usually sweet woman. 

She was champagne ready to burst, ready for something to tip her over. Quackity’s declaration was the ‘something’ to make her explode in an array of held-back pain, agony, and anger. 

“Ranboo is an innocent person Quackity! Are you blind! He’s an innocent man! Tubbo can you not see what’s going on! Quackity is becoming another Schlatt! Another dictator of L’Manburg!” She screamed, spit flying in her vexation, her hand’s gesture in the air widely, her eyes wide open in anger. Everyone stood there silently at the sweet girl’s outburst. 

Even Dream was tensing up at her screaming. 

Tubbo stood there, a worried look on his face as he listened to her tirade. When she stopped to take a breath, they walked to the mic, pushing Quackity to the side, he leaned in as he tried to calm the older girl. “Niki please-” 

“Don’t call me Niki! The same thing happened to you! Are you going to just let this happen!-” 

“Niki- please calm down- Niki please, Niki- NIKI!” Niki halted to a stop, her swiveled hands clenched at her side. 

“WHAT?” She shouted.

“Niki. I’m the one who called for Ranboo’s execution.” Her eyes widened as he heard what the president said. He- he called for Ranboo’s execution? 

“You bitch!-” Niki shouted as she processed what he had said, she stalked towards the podium, pushing the crowd as she shouted vulgar words at the cabinet, hands gesturing wildly at the Butcher Army. Hurriedly, Eret and Captain Puffy grabbed Niki as she stormed to the front of the crowd, worried about her future actions. 

“I HATE YOU, TUBBO! I FUCKING HATE YOU! I HATE YOU ALL! I HATE THIS FUCKING COUNTRY! YOU HAVE TAKEN EVERYTHING AWAY FROM ME. EVERYTHING. AND YOU DARE TAKE MORE. HOW DARE YOU, YOU FUCKING BASTARD!-” Niki screamed, angry tears were running down her face at his point, arms restrained by Eret and Puffy. 

Everyone watched shocked at her tantrum. Ranboo’s eyes widened further at his best friend’s diatribe. Soon enough, Niki had dissolved into a mess of tears, hiding in her friend’s arms as she sobbed, mumbling out wet words. 

“Right everyone! How ‘bout we continue this execution.” Ranboo’s head swiveled to the side as Quackity clapped his hands together, ignoring what had happened. 

“What no no no-”

“Shut up, bitch.” Quackity muttered darkly, quietening Ranboo’s complaints. 

“Alright then. Ranboo! Do you recognize this book here?” Quackity questioned, seeming to be the leader of this whole shebang. 

“No…” Ranboo whimpered, not recognizing the book. 

“Don’t lie to me. I found this book in your house!” Quackity sneered, a shadow was sneered across his features. 

“Dream even told me that it was yours!” A collective gasp passed through the crowd as they heard the name of the Admin. Heads swiveled as they tried to look at the famed character. 

You could see a glimpse of a smirk from under his mask, he stood taller as his name was called. 

“That I did. The book is Ranboo’s.” 

“What- no. I don’t own any book!-” Ranboo stuttered, surprise painted on his face. 

“Oh, c’mon now. Let’s not be like that. You know it’s yours, you just can’t  **remember.** ” Another gasp sounded through the crowd as they learned the fact. 

_ A cabinet member of L’Manberg can’t remember anything?  _

“I- uh- I- I- just…” The part enderman stuttered. He didn’t know what to say. 

“Well, that confirms it! Ranboo is a traitor! Now let’s kill ‘im!” Fundy shouted cheerily as if they were talking about the weather. 

“Wait no!-” Ranboo cried as the fox dragged him down the steps, to the closest lake. Niki jolted up when she saw Ranboo walking close to the crowd. 

“Ranboo!- No, let me- please- Ranboo!-” She cried as she tried to run towards her friend but Eret held her back, not letting her escape. 

“No Eret! Let me- just-” She struggled as tried to pry his hands away from her. 

“Niki- Niki, please. You can’t stop it-” Eret begged as he struggled to contain her. Puffy soon joined in, trying to comfort her before she did anything drastic, whispering words of comfort into her ear as she held her. They both tried to shield her eyes from Ranboo’s inevitable death, to not let her view the horror that was to befall the eyes of L’Manburg. 

“Tell me Ranboo, you’re part enderman right?” Quackity said conversely as he stumbled over the ground, his long legs tripping over themselves in panic. 

“Uhhhhh-” 

“Does this mean you’ll burn in the water?” 

“Come on now, there’s no need to do this-” Ranboo hurriedly tried to run from Fundy’s grasps but a knife was brought to his throat, making him still, cutting his words short. Ranboo breathed heavily as they approached the lake, everyone following close behind him, blocking him from escape even if he managed to pry free from the threat of Fundy’s sword. 

Streaks of aquamarine started cascading down his cheeks, burning him. He couldn’t help stopping the pitiful whimpers that escaped his throat. He was brought down to his knees in front of the lake, the green grass staining his black dress pants. 

“Any last words, traitor?” Quackity snarled, no sense of remorse on his face, disgust was quite clearly painted on his face, eyes filled with anger. 

Ranboo whimpered, looking around as L’Manburgians surrounded him and the Butcher Army, looks of pity, smugness, and worry were painted in an array across the crowd, Niki’s cries could be heard in the background.

Fundy had a look of pity and knowing on his otherwise stone-cold face, another child that was lost to the world of politics. 

Tubbo had the same look that he had when he had exiled Tommy; a look of sadness for another friend gone, a look of longing for someone to just stay with him, and a look of coldness as the ruler of a nation.

Quackity had a look of disgust and his eyes showed the way he craves for power, willing to tear and rip apart anything, even children, for the sake of power. 

Niki stood there crying, despair drew on her face, hope snatched away from her grasp. 

Dream looked on with an air of indifference, not caring that he dragged another child to their demise. 

The people who knew Ranboo had a look of pity on their face, tears pricked the face of some for the wonderful boy. Others had vicious joy, wanting to get rid of the traitors of L’Manburg, they wanted  **blood.**

“Any last words,” Quackity repeated, it was more a statement than a question by this point. He shook his head no in answer, then it was time. 

Fundy, who had been gripping Ranboo tightly, shoved him under the water. 

Ranboo thrashed around as a burning feeling overcame his whole body, it felt like he was on fire. He choked on the water as he screamed in pain, bubbles escaping his mouth and showing when his body moved to and fro. 

His instincts went off, wanting to teleport out of the water, to escape the agony, but for some reason he couldn’t, no matter how hard he tried. Fundy had gone into the water with him, pinning him down so he couldn’t escape. 

For a few fleeting moments, he had managed to get his head above the shoreline but was quickly pushed down again with a cruel hand. Screams escaped his mouth when he did, trying to shout for help, to gasp for air, for relief from the burning pain. He saw with his limited vision that Quackity had joined in pinning him down. 

Citizens watched in shock as they saw the cruel torture that was inflicted on the young boy, watching relatively silently as Ranboo violently writhed, drenching the two other men in the lake. 

Screams of grief sounded through Niki as another burst of motivation rushed through her, tearing at the hands that gripped her. 

“RANBOO! No, Ranboo please! Ranboo! Ranboo, Ranboo please…” Niki gradually came to a stop as the thrashing ceased, sobs once again overcoming her as she collapsed to the ground. Puffy held her close, as a single tear trailed down her face, muttering words of comfort into her ear. 

A grin was painted on Quackity’s face as Ranboo stopped moving, a few bubbles came to the surface as he disappeared in a puff of smoke, a single message accompanying it. 

**Ranboo drowned while trying to escape L’Manberg**

Fundy and Quackity stood huffing from the exertion in the water, as Tubbo stood off to the side, not a speck of water on him. Niki hung between her two friends, her hair fell like a waterfall as she hung her head low. 

Everyone’s eyes zoned unto her as she whispered, cutting through the silence as her head raised a bit, letting her eyes peek through her blonde hair. 

“Tubbo….” 

“Yes?” Said man answered back, his blue eyes that were both filled with sorrow and ice trained carefully onto Niki. 

“You’re... you’re another Jschlatt… Another fucking Schlatt.” She whispered, her eyes rimmed with red but piercing. Everyone watched as Tubbo flinched back, but quickly gained back his composure. 

“Maybe Niki, maybe...” 

Tubbo turned back around, flicking his fingers as Quackity and Fundy followed him like dogs. Quackity’s eyes were still filled with blood lust and craze as he skimmed the crowd, water soaking his clothes. 

Everyone started dispersing as the rest of the Cabinet left, leaving only Niki, Eret, and Puffy in the area. Niki muttered to herself as Eret and Puffy dragged her away to grieve on her own. It would take weeks for Ranboo to respawn. 

___

_ No one knew of the pang that had struck through Dream, making him want to hunch over his body, the distorted face under his mask as his heart started beating faster, seeming to want to jump out of his chest.  _

_ The anguish and pain echoed across his mind and body as he watched Ranboo perish, sweat starting to drip down his forehead, his hands shaking as he clenched them tightly next to his side.  _

_ Someone had to hold the weight of the world’s pain….  _

**Author's Note:**

> Heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. 
> 
> So you might be thinking, "Hey, this shit happened like 2 months ago!" 
> 
> Yes yes, I know //sobs  
> I started writing this in December, finished in the beginning or middle of January, and then the editing process took awhile... 
> 
> Also, if any of you guys are coming from my other story, Monsters Are Nearby, the updating schedule is a bit of a mess, the main problem is the plotting process, it's hard to find a time that we can all sit down and talk about what's gonna happen. So I'm guessing it'll take at least a week for us to bring another chapter. Sorry about that!


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